Open steam box drier



W. S. BOWEN OPEN STEAM Box DRIER oct. 1o, 1944.

2 sheets-sheet? Filed Nov. 24, 1941 flu/en for fa/4M .Spf/raf# aon/m' Patented Oct. 10, 1944 UNITED j STATES ATENT OFFICE OPEN STEAM BOX DRIER William Spencer Bowen, Westfield, N. J. Application November 24, 1941, Serial No. 420,181 y 4 claims.l (o1. :s4-22a) The `present invention relates to drying mechanisms and embodies, ymore specically, a drier by means of which continuous drying of material may be accomplished in a highly eilective manner.

,Belt drying mechanisms have long been inuse, such mechanisms including a chamber arrangement by means of Which a drying medium may be circulated about the material on the belt in order to accomplish its drying. The present invention utilizes these broad and general features of belt drying mechanisms and incorporates therewith further structure bymeans of which drying may be accomplished effectively and at Very low cost. l

An object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide an improved belt drying mechanism which is simple and relatively inexpensive in construction and highly efcient in operation in order that desired drying operations may be accomplished.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drier of the above character wherein the heat of condensation of a medium may be utilized to eiect the drying operation.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from a description of the manner in which these objects are attained, which, generally speaking, consists in the provision of a steam box so related to a movable heat transmitting belt that the heat of condensation is utilized as an effective drying means. This structure is assembled in such fashion that the belt passes over and forms generally the top of the open steam box, the entire mechanism being included within a chamber in which air or gas currents may be circulated. A

The foregoing objects and structure will be understood more fully from a detailed description of the invention which, for present purposes, is shown as embodied in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a View in vertical section, taken longitudinally of a drying mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

Figure 2 is a View in cross-section taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the above drawings, a housing is shown at i to provide a drying chamber 2 Within which an endless belt 3 is mounted. The belt is supported over pulleys 4 and 5, pulley 5 being driven by a belt 6 from a variable speed gear mechanism 'I that is driven by a motor 8. The details of the foregoing mechanism are comparatively unimportant except that the belt 3 ispreferably formed of metal'such as aluminum or stainless steel in order that it may be a `good heat conductor;A SideV guides 9 are provided, if desired, and a feed hopper I0 is formed in the top Wall of the housing I in order to'feed the ma'- terial to be dried onto the belt at Vone end thereof.

Beneath the upper span of the belt 3 a steam box I I is mounted, the box being open at its top I2. Rubber gaskets I3 or other sealing means may be provided about the periphery of the top of the box in order that the moving belt 3 may form Va reasonably good closure for the box. Steam is introduced` into the box II through a pipe I4 and the condensate is discharged therefrom through an outlet pipe I5.

An inlet pipe I6 is provided to introduce drying air into the chamber 2, the air being discharged from the opposite end through outlet pipe I"I.

A rotary brush I8 and scraper I9 are provided to remove the dried material on the belt 3 at the end of the drying cycle of the operation. A discharge hopper 20 is provided to receive. the dried material removed from the belt.

In operation, it will be observed that the heat of condensation of the steam in the open steam box II will function as an effective drying agent to dry the material that has been applied to the top span of the belt 3 by the feed hopper I0. The material will dry in a flat condition on the belt and then, as the belt moves about the pulley 5, the material will co-act so that it will be capable of being removed easily by the brush I8 and scraper I9. The construction is such that a counter current of drying air may be utilized not only to aid in drying but also to remove the moisture in the chamber 2, resulting from the drying. It will be apparent that, with the structure above referred to, dry air will be in contact with dry material, while the more moist air will be in contact with the moister material, the tem- .perature of the air decreasing as it progresses through the chamber 2.

While the invention has been described with reference to the specic structure shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited save as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Drying mechanism comprising a thin, flexible imperforate heat transmitting member, means to apply a material to be dried to said member, a receptacle having side walls. and an open top mounted beneath a portion of saidl Ymember, means to introduce a heated vapor into Vthe receptacle for contact with and at least partial condensation on saidl member, means for removing condensate from said' receptacle, means Y for sealing vthe top edges of said receptacle v'to e saidV member toV prevent escape of vapor from j said receptacle, means for moving said member over the top of said receptacle, and means for bending saidl member after movement over the top oflsaidreceptacle..V .Y

2. Drying mechanism comprising an endless belt passes to provide upper and lower belt spans, means to apply a material to be dried to .the

upper span of the belt at a point spaced from neathjthe upperv belt span, saidbox beingY located nbetween the YAlast named Vpulley and Athe point'at which material Vis Yapplied tothe belt,

means to seal the top edges ofthe box tothe lower svurfacefof the belt, means lfor supplying Steam to said steam box, and means for remov-H ing condensate Yfrom said steam box.

imperforate belt formed of aV material having high heat conductivitmpulleys over which the L belt passes to provide upper land lower belt spans, means to apply a-material'to be dried tothe 2,360,100 Y Y y y upper to the lower span, means -to remove theA material from the belt on the portion j thereof VVimperforae belt formed .of a material having high heat conductivity, pulleys over which'the y,

passing over the last named pulley,A a Vsteam box having an open top beneath theV upper belt span, means for sealing the open top of said box to the undersurface of said upper span Vof saidrbelt to utilize said upper span as a'closure for the box, vsaid, box 'being located between y the last named Apulley and theY point at `which material is applied to the belt, means for supplying steam to said box,V and means for removing condensate from said steamrboX.

l 4. Drying mechanismy comprising an endless imperforate belt formed of a'material having l Ythe pulley over which the belt moves from the l Vupper to the lower span, `means to remove the 'material from'th'e belt adjacent'the lastnamed pulley, aY steam box having an open top bel f, '3.Drying mechanism comprising an endlessn upper's'pan of Y the belt at4 a point spaced' Vfrom Y the .pulleyrover which the belt moves from the high heat conductivity, pulleys over which theV belt passes to provide upper'and lower belt spans, means to-apply a material to be dried to the upper span of the belt at la. point spaced from the pulley over which theY belt movesfrom the upper to the lower span, 'means Vto remove the `materialfrom thebelt adjacentthe last named pulley, a steamV boxhaving an open 'top beneath kthe upper beltr span, means for sealing the openV top of said box to the Vlower surface of the upper span of said belt, saidrbox being lo,-V

Vcated between the last named pulley and the pointrat Ywhich material is applied to the belt, meansto direct a YgasY over the belt in a direc-V tion counter to the direction of movement of the belt, means for supplying steam to said steam box, and means for removing condensate from said steam box.

o f SPENCER Bowan,V 'o 

